Eko Atlantic City: Turning adversity to prosperity

When erosion ravaged a good part of Victoria Island about 11 years ago it resulted in sleepless nights for residents then. The problem became a nightmare and it was very serious threat to Ahmadu Bello Way, whose border had partially collapsed into the sea. Concerned about this development, the state governor at the time, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, sought the help of experts with a view to stemming the tide of erosion which was threatening to swallow up the whole of Victoria Island.

Investigations revealed that if a wall was constructed on the original coastline, it would effectively check the course of the erosion. That interestingly is the origin of the Eko Atlantic City project.When completed, the new city would be home to 250,000 people and a workplace of 150,000 others as it is planned as a mix of business and residential developments. The city is to have different districts with different offerings.

It is being conceived and developed to be better than Manhattan in New York City and Dubai in United Arab Emirate when it is fully completed. The project represents a peep into the future of Lagos as it offers a world-class infrastructure to facilitate the development of a new African city. With Lagos’ growing population and its attendant implications, Eko Atlantic City will help, in no small way, to widen the options available for socio-economic interaction in the state.

In essence, part of the objective for bringing the city on board is to relieve the pressure on the ever enlarging population of the state. The 10 square kilometer city will have waterfront areas, tree-lined streets, efficient transport systems and mixed-use plots that combine residential areas with leisure facilities, offices and shops.

Lagos is not alone in this unending struggle between man and the forces of nature. Similar process had taken place in the Netherlands, large parts of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, parts of Dublin, Ireland, parts of New Orleans (which is partially built on land that was once swamp), much of the urbanised area adjacent to San Francisco Bay, including most of San Francisco’s waterfront and financial district, Mexico City (which is situated at the former site of Lake Texco), large parts of Monaco, 25% of Hong Kong Island, Mumbai, India and loads of individual islands, one of which the Burj al Arab Hotel in Dubai lies on.